We begin with the controversy surrounding La Scala's decision to open their season with Wagner instead of Verdi; we dissect the recent COC Ensemble Competition; we debate the merits of Giacomo Meyerbeer (“sublime!”… “totally forgettable!”) in light of the Royal Opera’s new Robert le Diable and, try not to get too flustered as we examine how opera companies are sexing up their seasons. We end the chat with a new feature: our summary of our favourite new recordings, live-stream productions and YouTube clips for the month!

This is the last Big COC Podcast for 2012. We’re taking a little break for the holidays and will be back in January. We wish you all the best of the season and a happy New Year!

Are you out there listening? Let us know by sending us your ideas/comments on Facebook, Twitter or by e-mail (community@coc.ca).